Sharks’ Couture explains what needs to happen before he returns, as timeline comes into focus
SAN JOSE – Injured San Jose Sharks captain Logan Couture said he wants to be a full participant in at least two practices before he thinks about rejoining the team’s lineup, meaning he could potentially play again as soon as this weekend if he continues to skate without any setbacks.
The Sharks are at home this week and scheduled to practice on both Wednesday and Friday. San Jose closes a three-game homestand on Saturday afternoon against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
“I want to practice twice,” Couture told Bay Area News Group on Tuesday.
Couture, out with a lower-body injury since before the start of training camp, said he’s still taking things day-by-day, noting it was unclear whether he’ll be able to be a full participant in Wednesday’s practice. He took part in another one of the Sharks’ morning skates Tuesday as they prepared to play the Detroit Red Wings at SAP Center.
Couture has had at least two setbacks in his recovery from the undisclosed injury, with the most recent one costing him about a month off the ice in November. Couture said before Christmas that he started to feel much better near the start of December after he began treatment from a physical therapist in San Francisco.
“Just something clicked,” Couture said on Dec. 19. “Started to feel a lot better, started to skate more often, felt way better on the ice, and didn’t aggravate my injury.”
Couture said at the time that he was doing certain exercises four or five times a week as part of his rehabilitation, something he said Tuesday he might have to continue to do even after he begins to play again.
“I’m not sure, but I’d imagine it’s something that sticks with me for the rest of my career,” said Couture, 34, who has 700 points in 927 NHL regular season games.
“It’s pro sports. You need your body to compete at the highest level and your body has to be in the best possible shape. So, whatever it takes for it to be at that point, that’s what I’ll be doing.”
The Sharks could dearly use the type of boost Couture may provide as they entered Tuesday on an eight-game losing streak and with the worst record in the NHL at 9-25-3. During this latest skid, Sam Jose has been outscored 35-11.
Couture has been a do-everything type of player for the Sharks throughout most of his 14-year NHL career. Besides being a leader on both the power play and the penalty kill, Couture usually matches up against the opposing team’s top line.
Asked what it’ll mean to the Sharks once Couture returns, defenseman Mario Ferraro said, “It’s going to be huge. I mean, that’s our captain. That’s our leader. (Power play), PK, he does everything.
“It’s going to be big for us to get him back. Not just his play on the ice, but having him on road trips, having his presence in the room, his energy, and his drive. We’re going to need that.”
After Saturday, the Sharks embark on a five-game road trip from Jan. 9-16 with stops in Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Buffalo, and Chicago.
FRIENDLY WAGER: Canada was knocked out of the IIHF World Junior Championships on Tuesday, losing 3-2 to underdog Czechia in the quarterfinals. Couture, a native of southern Ontario, said he and Czech-born Tomas Hertl used to have a friendly wager whenever their home countries met in the tournament, but that it hasn’t happened in the last couple of years after the Canadians began to dominate the series.
“Tommy has been too scared to bet me the last two years,” Couture said. “He could have won some money back from me. I’m sure he’s a little disappointed.”
In the semifinals, Czechia will play Sweden and the United States will face Finland. Sharks prospects still in the tournament include Sweden’s Filip Bystedt and Mattias Havelid, Finland’s Kasper Halttunen, and Americans Will Smith and Eric Pohlkamp.
Defenseman Jake Furlong, a fifth-round draft pick by the Sharks in 2022, was part of Team Canada. He, along with Halttunen, and Bystedt have already signed entry-level contracts with the Sharks.